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Mythcreants.
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Last week was the first half of character creation, and this week we continue the charge. It’s time to put another few notches in our hardened meters, define our obsessions, and figure out what kind of game we’re playing. And it seems we’re playing a game about… otherspace Hogwarts? Okay, didn’t expect that, but Unknown Armies is a game about bizarre magic, so it seems to fit.

By the end of this session, everyone knows who their characters are and what they’re setting out to do. Tune in next week as our heroes, and we use the term loosely, try to overthrow the tyrant Lin Redstone.

Players don’t just want to win. They want to win by the skin of their teeth. They want to feel like the dragon could have eaten them and they just barely got away. So how do you create that feeling without actually killing any characters? That’s what we’re talking about this week, including everything from how to make your villains threatening ...…

Having magic is such a struggle! All the muggles are out to get you, and the church keeps trying to set you on fire. Clearly, mages are oppressed. Or are they? Wes returns after a short sabbatical, just in time for us to discuss this trope and why it doesn’t make any sense. We talk about how hard it is to oppress people who can shoot fire from ...…

Since we’re lucky enough to have Ariel in the studio once again, we’ve decided to take a deep dive into common wordcraft mistakes. There’s no plot or character analysis here, just the words and punctuation on the page. Mostly, it’s how those words and punctuation marks are used poorly. We discuss rhyming names, the prevalence of exclamation poi ...…

Gender is a complex thing, and writing a character whose gender is different than yours can seem a daunting task. This is especially true for writing a gender less privileged than yours. Don’t worry, we’re here with sage advice. This week, we discuss how to avoid cliches, keep yourself honest, and make sure your characters don’t come off as one ...…

It can be challenging to tell readers everything they need to know through a character’s point of view, so why not ditch that confinement and use a narrator who knows everything? That’s called omniscient narration, and it’s what we’re talking about today. Joined by returning guest Ariel, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of omniscient, co ...…

A revolution without podcasts is a revolution not worth having, at least that’s what we think here at Mythcreants. Other people feel differently, and they might form their own political movement with a no-podcasting agenda. Fortunately, we’ve invited Kathy Ferguson back one more time to talk about political movements, so we’ll be prepared. We t ...…

Everyone knows that the chosen one must have a chosen horse, a beast so noble and strong of will that no other warrior can ride it. Or maybe not? It turns out that horses are complicated animals, and they don’t always go along with human plans. Fortunately, we have special guest Kathy Ferguson here to talk horse-shop with us today. We’ll look a ...…

Sound, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Mythcreant Podcast, and as you might be able to tell, today we’re talking about Star Trek. But not just any Star Trek: political theory in Star Trek. For that we’ve brought on a special guest, Professor Kathy Ferguson, who just so happens to teach a class on this very subject. We talk abou ...…

Hmm, this character is holding an apple; is it a symbol for original sin or health and learning? What about this marlin being eaten by sharks? Does it symbolize corporate bosses extracting value from the working man, or does it represent unfair taxation demolishing a paycheck? If you’ve ever had trouble deciphering symbols like these, then this ...…

Pay attention, everyone! Class is now in session, and I hope you have done your homework as well as found a date for prom. That’s right, this week we’re talking about high school, but specifically supernatural stories that take place in high school. We’ll discuss why high school is such an attractive setting, how to mesh magic elements and high ...…

Our epic adventure in Scum and Villainy concludes! The Shrike’s crew have located their target, but how can they get to it? The warp-worm is surrounded by guards, and a Hegemony dreadnought watches the skies. If that weren’t enough, our heroes have competition from an old ally. How will they overcome these challenges? Listen and find out! https ...…

Take note, listener: at the end of this podcast, Oren will ask Chris what her favorite example of dramatic irony is, and she will have no answer. It will be very embarrassing for Oren, and everyone will have a good laugh. There, now you’ll get to enjoy some dramatic irony as you listen to the podcast: you know something the character (or host, ...…

With character creation out of the way, our crew of shady bounty hunters is ready for their first job. But who would hire two weird cat-people and a cultist with a glowing worm under her skin? Why, the people who breed alien monsters for a living of course! That’s the job: go to the estate of a powerful noble family and retrieve a strange creat ...…

Sometimes you finish a super fun roleplaying campaign, and all you can think is that you want more. MOAR. So why not run a sequel campaign, or at least badger your GM until they do it? That’s what we’re talking about today. Listen as we discuss the hurdles to such sequels, how you can best succeed, and why a certain GM who shall remain nameless ...…

At long last, the wait is over! The Mythcreant Oneshot Podcast returns with Scum and Villainy, a space opera game and successor to Blades in the Dark. Scum has all your favorite scifi tropes, like lasers and space ships and robots oh my. It’s about spacers on the wrong side of the law, be they smugglers, bounty hunters, or rebels. This week, we ...…

Is that a noise outside? It’s probably nothing, so ignore it and go get some alcohol for our underaged drinking party. Nothing will go wrong. That’s right, this week we’re talking about slasher stories, everyone’s favorite genre where breaking from societal values is punished by brutal death. We discuss the origins of certain slashers, how slas ...…

Two weeks into October, we’re finally ready to start our spooky podcast topics with an episode about haunted houses – but not just any old episode about haunted houses. Today, we’re specifically talking about the subgenre’s history, from the ancient times of Pliny the Younger to the ghostly haunts of today. We may skip over a little in the midd ...…

Magic is cool, and weapons are cool, so you know what would be the coolest? Magic weapons, which is what we’re talking about this week. Despite being nearly ubiquitous across all genres of speculative fiction, magic weapons can be tricky to work with. What are they for? What should they do? Should it even be obvious that they’re magic? We’ll ta ...…

In the beginning, a human told a story, and another human said it was not good. Thus was born the tradition of literary criticism, which is what we’re talking about today. We’ll discuss the different schools of criticism, whether reviews are a type of criticism, and what criticism is even for. We’ll also dis on Aristotle a little, which means i ...…

Have you heard of this thing called literary fiction? We have, but we’re not quite certain what it is or why it matters. And we’re not the only ones who are confused. This week we get deep into what “literary” means, and how much writers should think about it when creating their stories. Prepare for an epic debate over art, craft, and books abo ...…

Sometimes it’s obvious who’s right and who’s wrong. The hero is kind and good, while the villain is cruel and evil. But what if that’s not the case? What happens when morality isn’t black and white but rather a shade of gray? That’s what we’re talking about this week. Gray morality is very popular among storytellers, but it has some serious pit ...…

What is a story’s message, and what is its theme? Are those different things? Have we been using words wrong this whole time? This week we aim to find out. Listen as battle lines are drawn over academic vs common word usage, and then as battle lines are erased so we can talk about what classic books mean. We discuss reader interpretation vs aut ...…

How many wizards should a party have? What about fighters? Does it even matter? That’s right, this week we’re talking about party composition in roleplaying games. Well, mostly in roleplaying games. We touch on other mediums too. Listen as we discuss which games require a mechanically balanced party, how to make your character best stand out, a ...…

Making a villain for your roleplaying campaign is always tricky. You want them to be intimidating and fun to fight, so the natural instinct is to spend a lot of time fleshing them out. But what if your players don’t like that villain? Then you’ve spent a lot of time on a character who isn’t any use. Don’t worry, we’ve got advice on how to make ...…

This may surprise you, but we play video games, and often those video games have characters that we like. But why do we like those characters? What makes a character come off the screen and stick in our memory? That’s what we’re talking about today, plus we reveal the only good part of Mass Effect 3. Download Episode 185 Subscription Feed https ...…

Have you heard about this new thing called children? They’re a sort of small human, and everyone thinks they’re a big deal. But how do you play RPGs with them? What sort of special considerations does it take, and what kind of challenges are you likely to run into? That’s what we’re talking about today, and we’ve brought on special expert Matt ...…

Balancing plot and worldbuilding is a tricky business. You might want a world where magic is light and fun, but then want a plot about how magic is dangerous and needs to be hidden away. If that’s happened to you, then congratulations, you’re in good company. This week we’re talking about what happens when world and plot come into conflict. Not ...…

But soft, what podcast through yonder feed breaks? That there was an allusion, one of the many many literary devices authors have at their disposal. But what do literary devices mean, and how can they be used in a way that’s not grating and awkward? That’s what we’re talking about this week, plus a healthy dose of Shakespeare and puns. Download ...…

After much drama and toil, the story of Teddy, Loris, and Emma comes to a conclusion this week! Last time, they discovered the truth of Emma’s connection to the Vanisher. Today, they venture into an otherspace that looks suspiciously like a certain school of witchcraft and wizardry. There, they must defeat a monster that even the most powerful ...…

Social justice is important in all storytelling mediums, but it can be especially critical in RPGs, where the barrier between player and character is thinnest. Ambushing a player with something harmful can ruin your evening, possibly the whole campaign, and cause real harm to your friend. Few GMs would do this on purpose, but how do you avoid d ...…

The saga of Teddy Larson, Loris Murdoch, and Emma Redstone continues! This week, they confront Lin and learn the dark secret at the root of everything. What is that secret? You’ll have to listen and find out! Also featured this session are shenanigans like: Summoning a demon after a failed social roll Transforming into a hostile NPC A daughter ...…

Most people enjoy music, but how should it be used in fiction? Is it okay for authors to put song lyrics directly in their prose, and if so, how much should they use? What about using songs as a plot device or just to set the mood? We’ll cover all that and more. Plus, stick around until the end for a taste of synth-whalepop. Download Episode 18 ...…

Now that everyone’s characters are finished, it’s time to get this session on the road. In this first part, we meet the PCs and learn what makes them special. Or at least, we learn what makes them weird enough to do magic. Listen in awe as a Harry Potter superfan joins forces with a costumed superhero and a creepy motel owner to take down the l ...…

Have you ever had a beta reader ask you a question about a scene you don’t remember having in your story, only to find out it was an artifact from a previous draft? Not only is that embarrassing, but it can also cost you time and money during revisions, so this week we’re going to talk about it. We’ll discuss best practices for keeping your cha ...…

Last week was the first half of character creation, and this week we continue the charge. It’s time to put another few notches in our hardened meters, define our obsessions, and figure out what kind of game we’re playing. And it seems we’re playing a game about… otherspace Hogwarts? Okay, didn’t expect that, but Unknown Armies is a game about b ...…

A story’s environment is vitally important, but how do we describe it? Too little description and the reader feels like the story takes place in a blank white void. Too much description and the plot gets lost. Should you use unusual and distinctive words, or will they only confuse the reader? What about employing senses other than sight? We’ll ...…

We’re back with the second installment of the Mythcreant One Shot Podcast. Our game: Unknown Armies. It’s a game of occult horror, where reality ripples in time with the human mind. Power is available for the taking, and characters seek their deepest desire, only to wonder if it’s really worth the price. Since Unknown Armies has a collaborative ...…

Characters that spend a lot of time together need to have a certain spark, a certain pop, a certain fizz. They need to interact in such a way that makes us want to see them interact more. That’s character chemistry, and it’s what we’re talking about today. How do you create character chemistry? What’s the difference between platonic and romanti ...…

Have you ever wondered why a D&D longsword does 1d8 damage? Or why slings are a simple weapon but repeating crossbows are an exotic weapon? Well, wonder no more, because this week we’re talking about all things related to weapons in roleplaying games. How much damage should they do? How granular should their stats be? Why does balance even matt ...…

Pow, biff, ka-bam! That’s right, it’s time to talk about fight scenes. These are a staple of speculative fiction, and the movies make them look so easy! But anyone who’s ever written one knows that’s not the case, so today we’re discussing tips for making the process a little easier. We cover how to make the fight engaging in its own right, how ...…

We love roleplaying, and we make no secret of it. In fact, we shout it from the rooftops whenever possible. But what are our reasons for playing in the first place? That’s what we’re talking about today. We discuss what first drew us to roleplaying, roleplaying as a storytelling medium, and why it’s important to play with plastic polyhedrals. P ...…

This week, we’re talking about quests, and not the kind where you go out and kill ten boars. These quests are the stuff of legends, of great heroes venturing out to seek a relic of power. Or of a young child taking a gift basket to a neighbor. Quests come in all shapes and sizes, and not everyone can even agrees on what a quest is. In this epis ...…

Prologues and epilogues seem so simple. They come before the first chapter and after the last chapter of a book, right? But maybe there’s more to it than that. When is a prologue really chapter one? When is chapter one really a prologue? What is the purpose of an epilogue, and what kind of book actually needs one? Listen to find out, plus bonus ...…

We all want to write what we’re passionate about, but sometimes that’s not as simple as it sounds. What happens when an author discovers halfway through a story that they’re more interested in a side character than the protagonist? What’s a writer to do when the idea they’re most passionate about doesn’t fit in the plot? That’s what we’re talki ...…

Welcome to a little experiment we’re doing here at Mythcreants: recorded one shots. Whenever we review games we aren’t familiar with, we run a one shot first to be sure we know how the game plays. This time we’ve recorded that one shot, so you can hear how we arrived at our conclusions. This week we’re playing FAITH, a space opera RPG with lase ...…

This week, we’re discussing how technology functions, or doesn’t function, in a fantasy setting. Of course, we get into Harry Potter first, because it’s absolutely critical to know what kind of water-management system Hogwarts has. But it’s not all about the Wizarding World, we promise! We also discuss how powerful magic should be in order to c ...…

We talk a lot about character competence, and one of our listeners had to remind us that we’d never really explained what that means. So this week, we explain ourselves. We talk about what competence means, why it’s important, and how competent various characters should be. Since we’re obviously competent ourselves, this should be great, right? ...…

Novelty is many things. It is a starship’s fusion plume against a starry night. It is primal forests disappearing into the mysts. It is an engraved silver wand that works wondrous magic. Novelty is critical to storytelling, especially spec fic storytelling, and it’s our topic this week. Joined once again by special guest host Sarah, we discuss ...…

No story is perfect, and no one can consume entirely unproblematic media. The question is, how much is too much? At what point do we draw the line? That’s our topic for this week, as we’re joined once again by one of our favorite guest hosts, Sarah. We discuss where our personal line is, how much the author’s views influence our choices, and ho ...…

If you’ve ever put down a story because you didn’t care what happened, there’s a good chance it was suffering from poor character likability. That’s our topic for this week, and we are joined once again by our excellent guest host Sarah. What is likability? How does it affect the story? Do you have enough of it? What if you liked a character an ...…

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